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Microsoft has created a new AI with Probabilistic disease progression modeling or (PDPM) to help doctors.

It uses observational medical data to establish (2) states:

The first determines the number of disease states

The second builds a probelistic disease progression model

This in turn can be used by doctors to better understand patients individual conditions and how they may be likely to develop. It could give information about a wide range of symptoms – from shaking hands to mood swings and use that to help identify the biomarkers of diseases including diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The ultimate goal is for Machine Learning and AI to help doctors make more accurate diagnoses which could allow for more effective treatment AND could ultimately save lives.

Why It’s Hot:

Applying unique predictive modeling to AI opens up a whole new world of opportunities. In this instance ,it could help save lives when applied to the medical field. Other predictive models across areas such as law enforcement, mental health, and climate change could also help bring positive outcomes.

I know there is debate on how effective email marketing is and can be. Personally, I have always advocated emails and feel if done right- email marketing can play a very big role in customer loyalty and retention.

And- it looks like people agree with that- as consumers seem to be paying attention to marketing emails they receive. Another recent study from Yes Marketing suggested a considerable percentage of consumers prefer email communication from retailers over other forms of interaction, including social media.

The problem? In a recent survey- people are saying those emails are not well-designed for their mobile devices, according to the results.

The top two issues shoppers wish could be improved were how marketing emails fit on a smartphone screen and the readability of such emails. The reality is that design, language, timing, tone and many other factors are all important when retailers and brands are looking to make the right impression by email.

Why It’s Hot:

As mentioned above- email could be a very cost effective and valuable cog in the marketing mix. It can help with retention, loyalty and brand awareness. However, if the emails aren’t designed right- especially to accommodate consumers viewing on their mobile phone- they will fail and could in fact have an adverse effect. Designers should look to take advantage of this insight and look to retool emails to be “mobile friendly”.

Attention, Interest, Desire and Action- the traditional marketing funnel defined by the traditional tactics to address each area. Each tactic is purposed to address one specific area of the funnel.

Enter Mobile Playable ads- while not a new initiative- they have been around since at least 2016- but can be more effective today with mobile usage at an all time high. Mobile Playable ads allow you to build an entire funnel within one ad type. They capture users’ attention with the promise of an enjoyable experience, build interest as users engage with the interactive ad spot and evoke desire and ultimately, action, with a strong call-to-action.

While playables are geared towards gaming apps- that doesn’t necessarily need to be their sole purpose. In fact brands could use this to promote apps or products.

Why it’s Hot?

Since every single user action in a playable ad is measurable, and nearly every aspect of the ad unit can be optimized to maximize performance- this is an ideal unit where clients are looking to maximize budget- and gather real time learning.

For brands like USPS- Informed Delivery or the in-development Ship/Shape Ap. could be a good use of a Playable Ad. Creating an interaction and showing a practical use of a product/service can only benefit signups and or app downloads.